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"waring's Hall." The old circular pinfold, and the Pool Inn, both now pulled down, were very picturesque. The mill, which stood near Mill Lane and Mill Hey (P. 292), has not existed within living memory.

Seacombe was merely a small cluster of cottagesone or two old ones still standing-near the ferry, and, with some isolated farms and cottages and a few fishermen's huts at the Magazines and Rock Point, completes the round of the parish.

The Parish is divided into three townships, Poolton-cum-Seacombe, the southern portion, being divided from the other two by a line running from the Pool, near Poolton, up Mill Lane to the Watertower, and then across the fields and down Church Street to Egremont Ferry; Wallasey (west) and Liscard (east) being parted by a line from the Water-tower, past the "Boot" inn, along Sea View Road to the Captain's Pit,10 over Stone Bark Hill, and so to the sea."

LOCAL NOMENCLATURE.

There are many interesting field names in the parish, in addition to those mentioned by Robinson; but a simple list is of little interest, and I am not prepared to go into derivations. 12 I may, however, mention one or two other names in the place. Under that point of sandstone rock jutting out towards the sea, about one mile west of New Brighton, and known as the Red Noses, is a cave called the Worm's Hole; is this the dwelling-place of some traditionary dragon, or a reminiscence of the visits of the Norsemen, with their long serpents?

10 This pit-the "marle pit in Kirby Sytch” of Robinson—takes its name from the drowning of a drunken captain, who jumped into it with his wife, as she was taking him home. The name is given in the Parish Maps, L. 524. 11 See Note 25.

12 See Appendix G-Field Names,

The name is now all but forgotten. The fishermen's huts at that corner of the parish where New Brighton now stands were called Rock Point, a name now swallowed up in that of the modern watering-place, though still borne by a house not far from the pier. Perch Rock, the outer rock of this point, also called the Black Rock, on which the Perch or Beacon formerly stood, is now occupied by the Lighthouse and Fort. The Magazines, where the sheds stood in which the powder now kept in hulks at Eastham was formerly stored, rejoiced not many years ago in the nick-name of Hell's Broo, from the character of the fisher-folk living there. About half a mile further along the shore, and in the direction of Egremont Ferry, stood a cottage called the White House, also known as Mother Redcap's, having a large cellar, and bearing the evil reputation of having been a great rendezvous for privateersmen and smugglers. Codling and Guinea Gaps, between Egremont and Seacombe ferries, are names of little interest, the latter dating back to some 40 years ago, when a number of guineas of William III's time were found in the sand there, together with a sword and, I believe, a skeleton.

"The utmost jutting Land hereaway called Outhill," mentioned by Robinson, I take to mean the high land above New Brighton, the highest point in the parish, about 180 feet above the sea, and then part of the Hose. The present magnificent view of land and sea was doubtless enhanced by its then wild surroundings, the heath, gorse, and rock of Liscard Hoes, unobscured by the smoke of Liverpool; and it must have been with mingled admiration and curiosity that the "Conquerors of "Great Britain" cried out, on arriving at "Outhill," "Whose or what Sea is that?" and with pride that the "Incolants" replied "Twas Wally's Sea." (See Notes I and 16.)

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HENRY ROBINSON.

Henry, the son of Thomas Robinson alias "Lewe Baptized ye first day of Aprill," 1640, in Wallasey Parish Church, must have been for very many years a familiar figure in Wallasey. For upwards of half a century Henry Robinson was master of the Free Grammar School, having been appointed within a few years after the Restoration, and having held the post until his death in 1727.

According to the following extract from the Registers, men who were 74 years of age at the time of Robinson's death were at the school when he was first installed in his office, when they would be 10 or 12 years old; so that the date of his appointment would be 1663-65, or thereabouts.

"Nov 23, 1727.

"We whose names are subscribed being mett according to "notice given in the church on Sunday last in a Vestry or Parish "meeting more particularly intended to Supply the school with a "fit master in the Room of Henry Robinson Late Master "deceas'd & some Questions arising-as to the Right of Nomina"tion of a master-there not appearing any Writeing or Record "to direct us therein-Wee have thought fit by a majority Present to Agree with Mr Charles Aldcroft the Minister of the Parish "in appointing Mr Isaac Hyde the Curate to be the Master of "the Gramar School in this Parish & doing his Duty therein to "Entitle him hereby to all Profits and Priviledges belonging to "the same & we do think Proper for the Guidance or direction "in any future Occasion to put in Writing What Evidence Appeared "to us relating to the Right of Nominacon of the Master of the "school.

"John Wilson a Parishoner & ch Warden aged abt fifty-six Says-that Enquiring of the old Master in his Sickness he told "him he was put in by Parson Scholes, 13 but Mrs Meoles & her "Son brought him to the School.

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"Joseph Kennion a Parishioner aged about seventy-four years Says That he was in the school when the Late Mr Robinson was first put in to be the Master. & That the Heads of the

13 Since writing the above I find that Geo. 1662 and Rd. Redmayne in the year 1664. therefore have been previous to the latter date, in "putting him in."

Scholes was Curate in the year Robinson's appointment must if "Parson Scoles" had a hand

"Parish brought him to the School & placed him there and "p'ticularly Mrs. Meoles-he remembers one Mr Scoles, the "master before Mr Robinson, & he was hired by the Parish. "Who had before turned out Mr Malpas for Faults.

"Thomas Sherlock a Parishoner aged seventy-four Says-he "knew ye Late Master Robinson put into this place by the "Parish p'ticularly Mrs Meoles and her Son, Mr Letherland, "Thomas Johnson & Peter Pemberton Who were Trusees for "the School Money

"Edd Mainwaring.

"C. Bunbury.
"Tho Meoles.

"Joseph Bird.

"Charles Pemberton.

"Thomas Willson.

His mark.

"Joshua Young.

"Thomas + Sherlock.

His mark.

"Peter Lunt.

"Joseph Kenyon.
His mark.

"Tho: Strong."

"Cha: Aldcroft, Recr "John Wilson, C.W."

Robinson was a regular attendant at the vestry meetings, and many of the entries concerning parish business bear his signature. There are a good many specimens of his handwriting in the parish books, in transcripts of deeds and agreements, notes on the school-money, and in one case in a most interesting historical memorandum in reference to the bells. In 1687, 6s. was paid "to "the Schoolmaster by order of the p'sh at Tho. "Slades in Augt Last for ballanseing accts of poors money & registring Notes."

ORIGIN OF THE “ACCOUNT OF WALLAZEY."

His "Account of Wallazey" was written in 1720, in a letter to Mr. Charles Bunbury, a gentleman living somewhere between Wallasey and Poolton, and whose signature frequently appears in the Registers, notably in the extract just quoted. This letter was communicated to Ormerod by the Rev.

A. Campbell, Rector from 1814 to 1829, but the copy following is from a transcript now in possession of the present Rector, which was copied from one belonging to the family of the late Lady of the Manor, Mrs. Maddock, whose genial manner of recounting her 90 years' recollections of Wallasey will always be remembered with interest and affection by those who knew her. 14

Ormerod also mentions that "Robinson wrote a History of Wallasey, remaining in the church "chest, detailing many fabulous stories respecting "the parish "; but of this history nothing is known, unfortunately, nor of the original of the letter to Mr. Bunbury.

There are two other entries in the Registers concerning Robinson, in addition to those already quoted :-

"Henry Robinson and [H]ester Wilson were canonically "married April 21-72 by License," and

"Buried Nov: 6, 1727, Mr Henry Robinson of Liscard, School"Master."

There is also in the books the following extract from his Will :—

"MAY 1st 1729.

"A Transcript of a Clause of Mr Robinson's Will, viz.: Ite: "I leave seven pounds to be manag'd & put to use by the Minister "& Church Warden & Parish Clark for the time being for Ever, "to the Intent that the Interest of forty Shillings be Yearly "employ'd to keep those Letters over the Passage into the little "Alley legible, or to put them into a frame of Wood, & whats

14 In reference to this copy, Miss Maddock writes to me as follows:— "The copy of Robinson's Account was taken from an old manuscript book "of my grandfather's, not written by himself, but of an earlier date, and the "Chancellor's [Chancellor Espin, late rector] copy contains all that was in "the manuscript book; the original is in the Wallasey Parish Chest (I "believe), so that you and Mr. Gray will know all about it already. As to "the traditions, I know very little. My grandfather remembered two light"houses-either washed away or become unsafe-at Leasowe before the 66 present one was built further inland; these must of course have been before "the embankment was made, and I have often heard my mother say how 'pretty it was before the commons were enclosed. A great part of the road "from Seacombe to Liscard was over the common, and even in my own "memory Wallasey Pool was a pretty spot."

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